Cylinder drain cock



Jan. 21, 1930. A. L. BRICE CYLINDER DRAIN COCK 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed June '7, 1927 INVENTOR.

/4 [Jeri l B7109,

BY Q fl- ATTORNEY Jan. 21, 1930.

A. L. BRICE CYLINDER DRAIN COCK Filed June 1927 v I I ATTOR EY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT L. BRICE, OF FREDERICK, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FREDERICK IRON 6c STEEL COMPANY, OF FREDERICK, MIARYLANID A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CYLINDER DRAIN COCK Application filed June 7, 1927.

My invention relates broadly to cylinder drain cocks and more particularly to a simplified construction of cylinder drain cock for automatic or mechanical operation.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simplified construction of cylinder drain cock which connects to a steam cylinder on a line passing through the center of gravity of the drain cock with the parts of 19 the drain cock readily accessible for removal or replacement under conditions of wear of the parts of the drain cock.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simplified construction of cylinder drain cock having a minimum number of parts with removable double faced wear resisting bushings which may be readily removed from or inserted in the drain cock as the parts thereof become worn.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of removable valve seats and spacer member for the ball valve of a cylinder drain cock where means are provided at one end of the drain cock for readily locating the valve seats in position for quick removal for replacement when the parts become worn.

Other and still further objects of my invention reside in the construction ofeylinder drain cock set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a portion of a steam cylinder showing the cylinder drain cock of my invention connected thereto; Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view through the cylinder drain cock on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 through the modified construction of cylinder drain cock illustrated in Fig. 5; Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view through the cylinder drain cock on line 4 -& of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side elevation partially Q in cross-section of a modified construction of cylinder drain cock showing a mechanical actuator projecting through the cylinder drain cock; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the cylinder drain cock illustrated in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional Serial No. 197,153.

view through the cylinder drain cock on line 77 of Fig. 5.

In the installation of cylinder drain cocks on locomotives, there is only a limited space available. The cylinder drain cocks must be in a position where they may be readily in spected and the parts thereof repaired with minimum delay. The construction of cylin der drain cock of my invention is such that parts of the cylinder cock may be conveniently removed for inspection, repair and re placement. I provide a construction of drain cock which is attached to the steam cylinder along an axis which passes through the center of gravity of the drain cock, thereby increasing the stability of the drain cock and reducing vibration thereof. In the construction of the drain cock, a cylinder body por tion is provided which may be readily opened at either end by the removalof screw threaded bushings for the insertion or removal of the parts of the valve construction. A valve chamber is provided in which a ball valve is located between a pair of removable double faced bushings positively spaced one from the other. Under conditions of wear, these bushings may be reversed thereby providing four wearing surfaces against which the ball valve seats or operates during the operation of the engine. The bushings are spaced by c an intermediate cylinder member and are located in position by means of an end plug insertable into the cylinder body of the drain cock. The construction lends itself readily to both automatic and mechanical actuation.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference character 1. designates a steam cylinder having a screw threaded aperture therein in which the cylinder drain cock is secured by means of the tapped connection represented at 3. The connection 3 has a bore 5 extending therethrough which continues through a port 7 to the central cylinder portion of the valve. The valve is secured in the cylinder 1 by screw threading 9 the portion 3 therein by means of a tool which is secured upon the polygonal shaped portion 4. The cylinder portion 6 of the drain cock extends on a horizontal axis with respect to the axes of the cylinder 1 and the drain cock balanced by reason of the connection to the steam cylinder 1 along the center of gravity of the drain cock. The in ternal cylinder portion 8 of the cylinder cock provides a housing for the annular bushing 10 and the separate bushing 11 which are positively spaced one from the other by cylinder member 9. The bushings 10 and 11 each have wear resisting surfaces on opposite sides thereof so that the bushings may be readilyreversed,thus providing four wearing surfaces against which the ball valve 12 may seat. The ball valve seats against bushing 10 during the intake strokes of the piston. lVhen a locomotive is drifting the piston in the main cylinder 1 is moved backward and forward due to the direct connection to the wheels which produces a vacuum at each stroke which will draw the ball on the seat 11 preventing dust, dirt, or any other road foreign matter from being drawn into the cylinder 1 and causing injury to the cylinder walls. This will also prevent the drawing in of cold air into cylinder 1 and chilling the walls. If it were not for bushing 11 and valve 12 preventing the drawing of cold air into the cylinder when steam is turned on there would be a large amount of condensation formed due to the steam coming into direct contact with the cold cylinder walls. The cylinder member 9 is a wear-resisting sleeve 0r lining against which the ball 12 rolls during the operation. The sleeve 9 is readily reversible under conditions of wear and is readily renewable, thereby protecting the cylindrical portion of the drain cock. An internal flange 13 is provided against which the annular bushing 10 abuts providing means for locating the removable bushings and the cylinder spacing member. A plug member 17 is provided for engaging the internal screw threaded end 14 of the drain cock with the protruding fingers 16 thereon which provides means for centering the bushing 11 sleeve 9 and bushing 10 in position with respect to the cylinder portion 8 of the cylinder cock and port 7 thereof. The fingers 16 also take the backward thrust of the ball when the engine is drifting and also prevents the leakage of steam from the chamber formed by bushings 10 and 11 from leaking past the loose bushing 10 and shoulder 13 to the atmosphere. A cap 18 is screw threaded upon the plug member 17 by applying a tool to the end 19. The interior of the plug 17 is cut away at 15 to prevent any ob struction to the flow of condensate through the fingers 16, past the valve 12 and out of the exhaust port 28 illustrated in Fig. 3, although omitted from the view in Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, I have illustrated an air operated automatic cylinder drain cock where the oper ating parts are arranged within a cylinder 20 and include a piston member 21 with an actuating rod 22 extending herefrom forming a push rod with respect to the ball valve 12, the piston moving by air pressure, conveyed through pipe line 26 toward the right against the pressure of spring 23. The cylinder 20 is closed by means of plug 25, having finger members 24 thereon for limiting the movement of piston 21 toward the left. It will be observed that both ends of the cylinder cock may be readily opened for removal and replacement of parts by removing plug 25 at the left and cover member 18 and plug 17 at the right.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7, I have shown the arrangement of the cylinder drain cock for mechanical operation where push rod 22 is connected to control rod 32 guided in the side extension lug 30. The valve body is provided with external lugs 30 and 31 ex tending on opposite sides thereof, each lug being apertured to provide a guide for the actuating rod where the cylinder cock may be installed on the right or the left of the locomotive. A strengthening rib 27 is cast integral with the structure of the cylinder cock providing a rigid mechanical assembly for the several parts of the valve.

The cylinder cock construction of my invention has been found to be extremely practical in its operation, as the renewing of the valve seats merely requires that bushings be removed from the interior of the valve reversed, and replaced to present new wear resisting surfaces to the ball valve. There is always apredctermined positive spacing between the bushings by reason of the arrangementof the cylinder member 9. The bushings are always located in the same relation by reason of the movement of the plug member 17 against the assembled bushings. Inasmuch as a minimum number of parts need to be renewed from. time to time, the cock construction requires minimum service attention.

lVhile I have described my invention in its preferred embodiments, I desire it to be understood that modifications may be made and that no limitations of my invention are intended other than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a cylinder drain cock. a substantially cylindrical valve housing disposed upon a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis, a screw threaded connection extending from said valve housing along an axis pas-:ing through the center of gravity thereof, a screw threaded plug adjacent one end of said valve housing, a pair of independent annular valve seats, an independent reversible cylindrical spacer member disposed between said adja cent faces of said independent annular valve seats, said valve seats and cylindrical spacer member being maintained in position by said screw threaded plug and a ball valve in said valve housing, said valve engaging the valve seats at opposite ends of said housing.

2. A cylinder drain cock comprising a cast housing disposed upon a substantially horizontal axis, a screw threaded inlet formed intermediate the ends of said housing and extending along an axis passing through the center of gravity of said housing, an outlet formed on the opposite side of said housing, a ball valve operative within said housing, a pair of independent reversible valve seats carried adjacent opposite ends of said housing and an independent reversible cylindrical member disposed between adjacent faces of said valve seats for positively spacing said valve seats and means screw threaded into one end of said cast housing for maintaining said reversible valve seats and said cylindrical spacer member in predetermined position relative to each other.

3. In a cylinder drain cock, a valve housing disposed upon a substantially horizontal axis, a screw threaded connection extending from said valve housing along an axis passing through the center of gravity thereof, a screw threaded plug member closing one end of said valve housing, a pressure outlet adjacent the opposite end of said valve housing, an inwardly directed shoulder formed interiorly of said valve housing, a reversible annular valve seat abutting said shoulder, an independent reversible cylindrical spacer member abutting said annular valve seat and a separate reversible annular valve seat abutting said cylindrical spacer member and secured in predetermined position with respect thereto by means of said screw threaded plug member abutting against one face of said separate reversible annular seat.

4. A cylinder drain cock comprising a horizontally extending valve housing, a screw threaded connection formed intermediate the ends of said valve housing and extending along an axis passing through the center of gravity of said valve housing substantially normal to the axis of the horizontally extending valve housing, a screw threaded plug closing one end of said valve housing, an exhaust outlet adjacent the opposite end of said valve housing, a shoulder projecting interiorly of said valve housing, an annular valve seat having a pair of wear resisting surfaces on opposite sides thereof, said valve seat being positioned in abutment with said shoulder, an independent reversible cylindrical spacer member arranged in abutment with said valve seat, an independent valve seat having a pair of wear resisting surfaces on opposite sides thereof, said independent valve seat being positioned in abutment with said cylindrical spacer member, said screw threaded plug engaging one side of said independent valve seat for forcing both of said ALBERT L. BEIGE. 

